Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-28
HONEST ABE.
Tho Statue OF Abraham Lincoln I'm
yelled st Chicsgo In the Presence
OF o Great Crowd.
Leonard SWEET, the Famous Lawyer, De
hvars an Grafton and Tells Many Row
Things About the Deceased

CHICAGO, ILL, Oct. 22.-The grea
statue Of Abraham Lincoln was unveie
this afternoon in Lincoln park in tn
presence CT large crowd that had brave
the chilly lake winds and assembled t
witness the ceremony. Shortly before
O'Clock the booming of cannon
started the multitude and as tn
sound died away over the water o
Like Michigan, little "Abe" Lincoln
the son of Robert Lincoln, stepped upol
the base. A flag covered the brorz
figure of his grandfather and he pullet
the rope which held the cover
ing. The folds slowly Enclosed aDC
dropped down at the base. The tall figur
of Abraham Lincoln shone brightly in tn
sun which struggled through the clouds
4 tremendous cheer went up from
the 5000 people assembled, an(
it was Joined moment later
by roar from the cannon. Mr.
Thomas F. Withrow, one of the trustees
OF the Bates fund out of which the cost @
the statue was betrayed, formally pre-
scented the figure to the Lincoln psrE
board, and Mr.. w. G. Goudy replied il
behalf of the board. The orstion was de
livered by Leonard SWEET whose
intimate political, social and
domestic relations with the great Pfesi-
dent have made him one Of the best in
formed men now living. As condensed
biography Of Lincoln it has not been eX-
celled. It contains
"REMINISCENCES AND ANECDOTES
which have never before been published.
SIT would not have been possible for any
other soil On the globe or any country
other than America or Sny other
civilization than our own to have
produced him. Ee was emphatically the
child of the republic and the product of
our institutions. He Vas OF the people
and for the people," After giving brief
sketch of Lincoln's youth, Mr.. SWett con-
tinued:
The most marked characteristic OF Mr..
Lincoln was his personal popularity. No
one who knew him knew another man
like him. rode the Eighth Judicial cir
cult with him for eleven years. IN
the scsnty provisions Of those times,
as rule, slept with him
His character YVES that Oi
extreme simplicity and great directness.
warmth for the body spd not for orna-
ment. He never in his life got the better
Of his fe1oWmen in trade and never
loaned money on interest. never knew
him but once to borrow money or give
his note"
Mr.. SWEET then spoke briefly Of well
known events which led up to the cleo
tion OF Mr.. Lincoln IS President, and
continued: 81 believe he deserved Sec
ond nomination because that involved
the approval by the common people,
whom ne always loved and coDfded in,
of the course which he had taken often IL
great doubt during his first administre-
ton; yet he would do nothing and would
allow no friend to do anything
to obtain it. He looked with Indifference
upon The Vaccinations against him in his
Cabinet, and with Indifference upon the
Senators and members OF Congress.
For the action Of the common people, as
in the preliminary conventions
and resolutions Of the state legislature
ne had great respect. He WAS IS near
the people as though an electrical chord
of sympathy extended from him TO them.
They did not dissppoint him, and finally
when second convention convened 10
Baltimore in May, the only contest
there was as to who should haYe the hol-
or of putting Mr.. Lincoln in nomination.
The sublime and crowning Characteristic
CT Mr.. Lincoln, however, was his SSH
reliance. During the eleven years |
was with him at the bar Of this state,
have known him never to ask the advice
Of G friend about anything. During the
four years CT his administration never
heard CT his doing this. never knew him
IN preparation for a trial, or the
of il in court, to turn to
his associate and ask his advice. And
herein may 1 be permitted TO mention
another very remarkable and useful trait
Of his character. II was his mental equi-
ooise which was disturbed st Moth
ing and diverted from the psth-
prosecuting the war, but
simply from sense Of duty and not be-
lief OF its success. Yet he kept right on
md was neither depressed by
disasters nor elated By success.
lie seemed to comprehend the msgni-
Jude of the contest in which
lie was engaged more thoroughly than
my other man. In short he wss the
strOEg man OF the CONTEST, ana The great
men at Washington learned to gain re-
lewed courage from his calmness, TO
can upon his own great arm for sup
,ort.''
Mr.. SWEET in conclusion said: "And
lie has made the journey to the great IN
Known. Before him Washington, Frank
in and Knox had gone. Before him oil
he great and good men who laid securely
md well the broad foundation of this re-
public had fallen before the only
oe their Yalor and courage |
could not Withstand. They hsve gone,
md all we. know of that great and final
ourneyto the unknown, is that all of
,aFsr race goes there, but no
ne returns. We see him in his |
mage of bronze above, and recall his
,reat presence. All we know is that il |
III time hereafter when the state shall
,rosn under the lash, or the poor groen !
or something better than they hsd |
;noWn, then his name will be honored, !
nd his example initiated"
A MONSTER